Andrea

About Me

Hi, I'm Andrea (Andi to most people). I am originally from Ireland but moved to Maidenhead 2 years ago after spending 8 great years in London working as a Recruiter in TV.

Becoming a mum to 3 wonderful children and an auntie to a gorgeous gaggle of nieces and nephews made me realise my true passion and talent lies in working with children. I am an Ofsted Registered Childminder working from my home setting in Furze Platt.

Our setting is a happy and fun place for little ones to learn and grow. I aim to make each day an adventure, encourage children to try new things, see new places and have meaningful experiences that they can come home and tell mum and dad all about at the end of the day.

In the summer, we enjoy almost daily trips to places like the playground, nature walks, trips to the farm and zoo, feeding the ducks, getting our feet wet in the river, ice cream, the scooter park, fruit picking, forest school, cycling, picnics and splash pads. In winter, we enjoy lots of muddy puddle walks, trips to museums, the library, soft play, play cafes, swimming and the trampoline park.

When we're not off exploring, children enjoy our lovely home with a playroom full of toys, puzzles, dress-up clothes, a shop, a kitchen area and an indoor swing. We have a good-size garden with a 12 ft trampoline, more swings, a slide, a climbing frame, a sand table and water play. We have a bouncy castle for the summer months. We love messy play, painting, cooking, crafting and colouring using a variety of materials and techniques.

My son was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 and is still non-verbal at age 6. I am passionate about early years care for SEN children, having been on that difficult journey with my son not long ago. I additionally have lots of experience with OT, sensory integration, a range of speech therapy techniques, AAC and behavioural therapy that I can share and apply if necessary. Our home is set up with enough equipment to rival an OT gym with therapy balls, weighted blankets, climbing ladders, a spinning chair, a sensory canoe, bean bags, crash mats a hammock and a tent swing. Finally, I've gone through the EHCP process and was fortunate to secure a specialist nursery and school place for my son so I'm happy to share my experience and offer advice if needed.

I have my own car and a full, clean. driving licence. I provide before and after school care on certain days with pick up and drop offs to St Edmund Campion.